Slain Brockton woman's children back in family custody

The four children of a Brockton mother found dead in her Forest Avenue home on Friday are now back in family custody as investigators continue to probe her death.

BROCKTON – The four children of a Brockton mother found dead in her Forest Avenue home on Friday are now back in family custody as investigators continue to probe her death.

A judge has granted custody of the children to the family of Florence Beaulieu, 37, according to a clerk at Plymouth County Probate and Family Court.

Beaulieu’s mother, Sylvia Saint Louis of Florida, attended a custody hearing in Brockton District Court late Monday afternoon for her four grandchildren, who were placed in state custody after their mother’s death.

Beaulieu’s family has custody of the children for 90 days, after which another hearing will be held to determine permanent guardianship, according to the court.

Florence Beaulieu was found dead inside her apartment at 124 Forest Ave., reportedly by her daughters, on Friday afternoon. Officials have called her death suspicious.

No arrests had been made in the case by Tuesday afternoon, Assistant District Attorney Jessica Healy said.

“It’s still under investigation,” Healy said Tuesday.

Healy would not say whether Beaulieu’s estranged husband, Jean Michel Beaulieu of Dorchester, is a suspect in the case.

Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause and manner of death, said Healy, who urged anyone with information about Beaulieu’s death to call Brockton detectives at 508-941-0234.

Beaulieu’s mother on Monday said her daughter had endured beatings by her husband during their 15-year marriage.

In court affidavits, Florence Beaulieu detailed a lengthy history of abuse by her husband, whom she met in Florida before marrying in 1999.

Beaulieu, who worked as a certified nursing assistant at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, filed for divorce on April 18.

Last Wednesday, two days before she died, Beaulieu and her estranged husband both appeared in Brockton District Court for a restraining order hearing. The restraining order, which Florence Beaulieu obtained on April 30, was terminated Wednesday at her request, court documents show.